You have probably had this on your list for a while. Getting your certificates properly sorted — not a Word document with a logo, not a Canva template that looks like everyone else’s, but something that actually reflects the quality of your training and gives your learners something they can use. You have looked at options. Some are expensive. Some are complicated. Some seem designed for organisations ten times your size. And then Open CPD turns up, and it is just the thing you were looking for.
The gap it fills
There are two options most training providers encounter before they find Open CPD. The first is DIY — make something in Canva or Word, put your logo on it, email it as a PDF. It looks fine. But it has no verification layer, your learner cannot really share it professionally, and anyone could have made it. The second is external accreditation — pay a private body an annual fee for a logo to display on your website and certificates. That logo has no regulatory backing, but it signals something to people who do not know that.
Neither option is quite right. Open CPD is the third option: a platform that lets you issue verifiable CPD certificates and digital badges — structured, professional, backed by a signed commitment to quality — without the overhead of external accreditation and without the credibility gap of a DIY PDF.
What it actually does
In plain terms: you create your provider profile, add your course, and let CPD Genie — the platform’s AI tool — help you structure what your training actually delivers in terms of Aims, Skills, and Outcomes. Most good trainers already cover all of this. CPD Genie helps you put it into words in a structured form that goes on the certificate and tells employers and professional bodies exactly what the training covered.
Then you issue. Your learner receives a professionally designed certificate carrying your name, your logo, and a secure verification link. They also receive a digital badge — issued automatically at the same time — ready to post on LinkedIn or drop into an email signature. And they receive their own dedicated achievement page: a permanent, shareable page they can bookmark and revisit, with guidance on how to share what they have achieved on social media. Employers can check the certificate in seconds. The achievement page stays live long after the email has been buried in an inbox.
What you get as a provider
When you join Open CPD, you sign the Declaration — five specific commitments about accuracy, honest CPD allocation, and legitimate authority over the training you certify. In return, you receive your OCPD Provider ID and your Certificate of CPD Membership: a verifiable record that you are part of a network of providers committed to doing this properly.
Your provider profile is publicly shareable — you can send prospects a link that shows your courses and your membership credentials in one place. It is not listed in a directory anyone can search; it is yours to share on your own terms.
What it is not
Open CPD is not a regulator. It is not a qualification body. It does not claim regulatory standing it does not have. What it is is a self-accreditation framework — one where you take responsibility for the quality of your training, sign a public commitment to that effect, and issue credentials that carry verifiable evidence of what the training covered.
That is a more honest offer than a logo from a private body with no statutory backing. And it is more useful to your learners than a PDF they cannot share or verify.
Getting started
There is no application process and no waiting for approval. You create your profile, add your course, and you can be issuing within a single session. Pay-As-You-Go — £50 for 25 credits — means you can get started without committing to a monthly subscription. The platform is browser-based, works on any device, and needs no installation.
Used by training providers across the UK, US, Canada, and Europe, Open CPD is the thing that gets this off your list. For good.
FAQ
Is Open CPD accredited?
Open CPD is a self-accreditation framework, not an accreditation body. Providers who join do not receive accreditation from Open CPD — they receive a framework for self-accrediting their own training, verified through a signed Declaration and a public OCPD Provider ID. This is a more honest description of what credentialing infrastructure provides than the implied regulatory standing sold by private accreditation bodies.
How is this different from CPDUK or the CPD Standards Office?
CPDUK and the CPD Standards Office are private companies that sell accreditation marks. They are not statutory regulators and have no government backing. Open CPD takes the opposite approach: it is explicit about what it is — a self-accreditation framework — and provides the infrastructure to make that credible: structured course design, verifiable certificates, signed commitments, and public accountability. You pay for credential infrastructure, not a logo.
Do my learners need to create an account to use their certificate?
No. The verification link on the certificate works for anyone with the link — no login required. The learner achievement page is publicly accessible to anyone they share it with. Nothing requires an account to view.
What if I only train occasionally?
Pay-As-You-Go is designed for exactly this. Buy credits when you have training to certify; your credits are valid for 12 months from purchase. You are not paying a monthly fee for months when you are not issuing.
